YWCA Dolphins sixth at state championships

Contributed report

Updated 1:23 am, Saturday, April 12, 2014

Sparked by 10 individual gold medals from three swimmers as well as six relay gold medals and another 51 top-10 finishes, the Greenwich YWCA Dolphins Swim Team finished a strong sixth in the Connecticut State Age Group Swimming Championships.

The Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club (4,416-points), Greenwich YMCA (4,372), Cheshire YMCA (3,599), Wilton YMCA (3,046) and Aqua Bears of Hartford (2,568) were the teams that finished ahead of the YWCA Dolphins (1,738) in the 38-team field.

Leading the way for the Dolphins was 10-year old Meghan Lynch. Lynch claimed the maximum 10 gold medals, including six individual titles and another four on relays. Lynch was joined in the gold medal hunt by Kate and Alexander Hazlett, who claimed another combined five gold medals.

Lynch, swimming in the 10-and-under class, won the 10-and-under 50-yard breaststroke (32.76), the 100 breaststroke (1:10.69) the 100 individual medley (1:04.54) the 200-individual medley (2:20.25) the 200-freestyle (2:04.15) and the 500 freestyle (5:39.74).

She also combined with teammates Samantha Ennis, Avery Sammons and Ursula Wise for victories in the 200 and 400 medley relay events and the 200 and 400 freestyle relays with respective times of 2:07.64; 4:44.20; 1:55.81 and 4:17.52. The team's finish in the 400 medley relay established a state record.

Alexander and Kate Hazlett registered five first-place finishes. Alexander took the 50-freestyle title in 27.04 in the 10-and-under class. Kate won the 50 freestyle (13-14 year-old class) in 23.95.

She also garnered the first-place medal in the 100 freestyle in 52.73 and in the 100 backstroke (58.34) and combined with Taylor Schinto, Emmy Sammons and Suzy Ryckman for gold in the 13-14 year-old 200 freestyle relay (1:39.85).

Alexander Hazlett also combined with Max Meissner, Jaden Nygaard and Ben Schinto for second in the 200 medley relay (2:15.17) and third in both the 400 medley relay (5:05.46) 200 freestyle relay (2:00.95). Hazlett, Schinto, Meissner and Juan Diez de Bonilla took third in the 400 freestyle relay (4:28.62).

Hazlett also took second in both the 50 breaststroke and 100 butterfly with respective times of 35.90 and 1:06.60. He placed third in both the 50 butterfly and 100 freestyle at 30.27 and 1:00.29, respectively, and fifth in the 100 individual medley (1:10.28).

Meissner's best finish in the 10-and-under group was in the 50 backstroke where placed fourth in 33.94. He took fifth in the 100 breaststroke (1:24.72), sixth in both the 50 breaststroke (38.32), 100 backstroke (1:13.18) and 200 individual medley (2:38.95) and ninth in the 100 individual medley (1:13.95).

Ben Schinto, 10, placed fifth in the 50 backstroke in 34.12 and eighth in the 200 freestyle in 2:23.0. He also posted times of 1:19.55 for 12th place in the 100 butterfly and 1:17.32 for 14th in the 100 backstroke. Schinto was 16th in the 50 freestyle (30.16) and 20th in the 50 butterfly (34.89). Jaden Nygaard, 10, was 10th in the 50 breaststroke (39.59). Nygaard also posted a pair of 14th-place efforts in the 100 butterfly (1:23.15) and the 50 butterfly (33.94). He placed 15th and 16th respectively, in the 200 individual medley (2:52.50) and in the 100 breaststroke (1:29.49).

Juan Diez de Bonilla, 10, took 14th, 18th and 20th respectively, in the 50 breaststroke (41.30), 50 backstroke (37.43) and the 100 breaststroke (1:32.13). Walker McCarthy, 10, was 15th in the 50 butterfly (36.17) and 18th in the 100 breaststroke (1:21.00).

The 10-and-under girls class saw Samantha Ennis take fifth in the 100 individual medley in 1:13.41, sixth in the 100 backstroke (1:12.94), ninth in the 200 individual medley (2:43.33) and 10 in the 50 backstroke (34.21) and the 200 freestyle (2:22.95).

Avery Sammons, 10, took fifth in the 50 breaststroke (38.05), eighth in the 100 breaststroke (1:22.82), 12th in the 50 freestyle (29.92); 14th in the 100 individual medley (1:15.95) and 16th in the 100 freestyle (1:06.43).

Ursula Wise, 10, was fifth in the 200 freestyle in 2:19.95, 17th in the 500 freestyle (6:13.61); ninth in the 50 freestyle (29.69), 11th in the 100 butterfly in 1:17.72, 13th in the 100 freestyle (1:05.63) and 16th in the 50 breaststroke (39.88).

Allison Opuszynski, 12, and Claire Michalik, 11, paced the 11-and-12 year-old group. Opuszynski took silver in the 50 freestyle in 25.79, sixth in the 100 freestyle (57.81), ninth in the 100 individual medley (1:07.29), 10th in the 200 freestyle (2:05.78) and 12th in both the 100 butterfly (1:05.71) and 50 butterfly (29.38).

Michalik was 13th in the 50 backstroke (31.00), 14th in the 100 individual medley (1:07.19), 15th in the 100 backstroke (1:06.55) and 17th in the 100 breaststroke (1:16.42). Relay action saw Opuszynski and Michalik combine in the 200-medley with Barbara Malone and Marcella Winget for 14th place. Opuszynski, Winget, Michalik and Bettina Tapiero took 12th in the 200 freestyle relay in 1:52.36.

The 13-14 girls division saw Kate Hazlett place second in the 200 backstroke in 2:09.04 and fourth in the 100 fly in 59.36 . Suzy Ryckman, 14, was third in the 50 freestyle (24.79), sixth in the 100 freestyle (55.16) and 11th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.81). Both Hazlett and Ryckman qualified for the USA Northeast Sectional Short Course Championships in Ithaca, NY this past weekend.

Taylor Schinto, 13, took seventh in the 50 freestyle in 25.23 and eighth in the 100 backstroke (1:02.01) after a swim-off for the spot with Ryckman saw her post a career best 100 backstroke time of of 1:00.86. Emmy Sammons, 13, took fifth in the 100 backstroke in 1:01.34 and 13th in the 200 backstroke (2:14.29). Emma Himes, 14, made her first final as she took 19th in the 200 breaststroke (2:38.93).

In addition winning the gold medal in the 200 free relay -- Hazlett, Sammons, Ryckman and Schinto combined for silver in the 200 medley relay, touching the wall in 1:53.39. They also placed fourth in the 400 freestyle relay (3:44.46). Hazlett, Schinto, Ryckman and Emma Himes took sixth in the 400 medley relay in 4:12.15.

The 13-14 boys class saw Ryan Bedell, 14, take fourth in the 1,650 free in a time of 17:37.55, sixth in the 1000 free in 10:37.46 and ninth in the 400 individual medley (4:37.42). He was also 12th in the 500 freestyle (5:12.99), 13th in the 200 breaststroke (2:23.78), and 18th in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.72). Tyler Jester, 14, was 13th in the 1,000 freestyle (10:56.95) and 19th in the 100 backstroke in 1:02.63. Bedell, Jester, Ryan Lynch and Jesse Horowitz combined for 10th in the 13-14 year-old 200 medley relay (1:57.48).

The 15-18 class saw Brooke Collins, 16, take fifth in the 200 breaststroke (2:27.77), 12th in the 200 individual medley (2:11.57) and 18th in the 400 individual medley (4:48.29). Sarah Bellamy, 15, finished 17th in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:02.81, while Riley Ennis, 15, placed 12th in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.07. Thomas Mackey, 15, was seventh in the 100 breaststroke in 1:03.19, eighth in the 200 breaststroke (2:21.99), 17th in the 200 individual medley in 2:07.05 and 20th in the 500 freestyle in 5:24.26.

"This was a great championship for us," coach Nick Cavataro said. "To have Meghan Lynch, Alexander Hazlett, Allison Opuszynski, Ryan Bedell qualify for the Connecticut Zone Team and Kate Hazlett, Suzy Ryckman and Brooke Collins all achieve USA Sectional Championship qualification standards, we are making great progress as a group. I'm confident we will continue on this pace through the Zone, Sectional and Charlotte Sun-Kissed Invitational in April."